Serendipity
by Sicone
Summary: (This is a Modern Day AU) She wanted a fresh start and this was it. A new volume in the series that was her life with blank pages to fill with all sorts of things dictated by her and herself alone. She was finally the author of her own tale and was excited to see what serendipity was in store for her.
1. Disclaimer

I do not own nor do I claim to own any characters or themes belonging to the game outside of my OCs and scenarios set forth within. Any resemblance to anything outside is unintentional and coincidental. In the case of the Main Character, I am placing an OC but readers are more than welcomed to replace her with a character of their own choosing or themselves much like the game plays out.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's note at end

* * *

The day was just like any other day. The same blue sky dotted with white clouds, everything lit by the light of the sun. The only difference was the neighborhood and now she was lost. Glancing around at her surroundings she hesitantly came to another stop to better assess her surroundings. She frowned as she looked down at her watch, apprehension and frustration clear in her dark brown eyes as she looked around once more. She, Emina Chernenko, was lost in her new neighborhood. She wanted to get to the local grocery store for some ingredients for dinner. The sun was high in the sky and there was a good amount of time until dinner, a small stroll around had seemed like such an innocent idea at the time.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she took a few deep breaths. This was a small setback, she would be back on her proper track in no time. Letting the negativity get to her would only make the situation more difficult. Squaring her shoulders, she adjusted the strap of her crossbody bag and looked straight ahead. Building up her determination to push through with positivity she started her walk once more.

 _Now, there has to be something I remember...a landmark or sign that stood out to me when I was looking around._ She racked her brain for some recollection of anything sighing in frustration when it seemed like nothing was coming to her. Fussing with her olive brown hair, she pulled it all over one shoulder and loosely braided it as she stopped and properly look around at her surroundings. It was there she had noticed something or rather someone.

Her fingers stilled as her eyes widened in awe of the handsome man who was seated on a bench not too far away from her. She knew it was rude to stare, but she could not look away.

 _What a beautiful person…._ He was in his own world, a cigarette held poised between two slender fingers with his eyes on the sky. His white hair glowed in the light of the sun, making him seem ethereal. The light wisps of smoke rose from the lit end, disappearing into the air. She was not not one for smoking, but watching him almost made the activity graceful and picturesque. As if all the hideous side effects and diseases it could cause were miniscule. Almost was the operative term, her logical brain kicking into high gear just as the handsome stranger turned to look at her. As if his looks were not stunning enough, his ruby eyes were icing on the 'blessed with all the good looks cake'. Her breath hitched in her throat as he looked directly at her, her cheeks burning a little for being caught.

"Can I help you?" His smooth voice was just as entrancing as his appearance. Emina could not help but think that some people were just born with all the luck in the world while she was another one of the average that populated this planet.

"Sorry, I was just spacing out for a moment!" She quickly shook her head, surprised that her voice and body were fully operational at the moment.

"Haha," he chuckled and ran his free hand through his bangs. "Were you mesmerized by my beauty?" He gave a smug smirk and suddenly all the beauty he held dimmed a little. "A lot of people tend to, don't feel bad. You can stare all you like, take a picture if you like. I mean it's cruel to keep all this beauty all to myself after all."

 _He's a total narcissist! Though he isn't wrong about what I was doing...was it that obvious? But way, he said a lot of people do it...hey! Don't go making excuses! Staring was wrong!_ She quickly reprimanded herself and gave a polite smile to the stranger. "No, no, I couldn't possibly take a picture." She nervously laughed off the offer. "I'm just a little loss is all." She clarified, wanting to redeem her status from the mass of crazy people he seemed to lump her with.

"Lost? Are you looking for someplace?" He turned a little in his seat to look at her more properly, cigarette forgotten in his hand.

"Uh, yeah...I'm looking for the grocery store." She quickly answered after some thought. She had no idea who he was and his sudden streak of narcissism only reminded her of her age old belief to never judge someone by their looks. She was not comfortable with letting him know where she lived.

"Oh, that's easy!" He smiled brightly and pointed in the direction she was walking. "Follow this street for two blocks, turn right, cross the street, and walk right. It should be on your left, roughly… three stores if my memory is right. It's not the biggest, but it definitely has a great variety."

"Oh, well, thank you!" She glanced down the road before looking back to him. "You're a lifesaver, my phone died and I didn't even realize it needed to be charged before heading out."

"Oh yeah, I do that a lot myself." He chuckled as he gave a slight sheepish grin. Everything he did was far too beautiful to fathom as real. Clearly her positive attitude paid off and she was now given directions by such a handsome young man.

"It's the worst right? Well, thank you again. Have a lovely day." She walked on after giving him a small wave she he happily gave back before resuming what was left of his smoke as she passed by. As she followed the simple directions she began to recognize a few things she had seen when she drove in. As the images matched with real world, she was able to quickly map out where she was and how to get to her apartment from here. Her chest swelled with happiness and relief as she stepped into the store and grabbed a hand basket. She now could grab what she needed and actually have some dinner at a reasonable time. While browsing the aisles her mind turned back to the angel of directions that saved her. _It was all because of that guy though. He was really handsome, what luck to meet someone like him on my first day here! Though...he was a narcissist he was very kind. I guess he isn't all that bad… his hair was something though! And his eyes. I wonder if he was wearing contacts and did he dye his hair that color? Not that they looked bad, but to naturally have such colors? That's really absurd._ She quickly shook her head at the thought of that bing his natural color. "Not possible!" She lightly laughed at her notions and concentrated on her shopping.

Soon she was out of the store with bags in hand and on her way to her new place. Yes, there was nothing except for boxes to greet her but that was nothing that bothered her. She wanted a fresh start and this was it. A new volume in the series that was her life with blank pages to fill with all sorts of things dictated by her and herself alone. The sight of the homely door brought a huge smile to her face as she slipped the key into the knob.

* * *

**Hello,

I know have quite a few works on here but I really wanted to put out a Mystic Messenger story as well since the characters are just so great and I'm always playing with all sorts of ideas with them. I hope you enjoy this story as well as anything else I've written.

Thank you.


	3. Chapter 2

Emina's dropped her keys with a clang into the glass bowl sitting on top of the entry table as she kicked off her shoes and neatly set them on the rack by the door. She looked around at the small apartment that looked infinitely smaller at the moment with all the brown moving boxes stacked against the walls. Some were even set up as makeshift tables for the time being. To be honest, she had put off unpacking with all the tasks she had to do while getting settled in her new job. It was not her ideal situation, but she opted to get that done sooner than be lost juggling all sorts of things and possibly losing something important in the mess that would be unpacking.

Setting the shopping bags on the island that partitioned her kitchen from the entryway and the main room, she settled herself on the couch. Propping her feet up on a nearby box she leaned back and went over the mental checklist of what needed to be done and what had been done. Feeling the tension build up again in her shoulders she let her head fall back as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

 _At least the bedroom, bathroom, and my study are set. It's really just the living room, clothes, books, and the rest of the kitchen supplies._ She reassured herself, looking up at the strewn boxes that now seemed less daunting than before. _Yeah, I'm not that badly off. Not like I have a lot in them too, they just look like a lot because their boxes._ Getting back up on to her feet, she made her way to the fridge and grabbed a cold beverage. She glanced at the crisp white folder with the C&R International logo perfectly situated on the cover. She knew there was no way she had time to focus on unpacking and picked it up. She walked down the short hallway to her study. It was completely unpacked with her computer on a sleek metal frame desk with a glass top. She slid into the black wheeled seat and fiddled with the mouse to bring her computer to life.

She leaned back in her seat as she tapped a single finger against the glass as she held her chin in her other hand as she mulled over the events that had led to her fateful move. She was a simple employee of the company, hardworking and happy in her department. Her boss was great and she got along well with most of her coworkers. Her job was nothing fabulous but she enjoyed it. Managing the food export section of the company site was fun to her. Most of the time she handled human food but occasionally she was brought in to photograph cat food and made to manage the overall lay out of the site. Those feline based tasks were her least favorite, but now she would happily even take those assignments.

* * *

It was precisely eight o'clock when she had walked into the office, just like any other day. Her boss, Michelle, was once again gushing over her 'lovely Zen'. "An actor who deserved more credit than he got. An actor who turned any show he was in into gold. Masterpieces because of his heavenly looks, undeniable charisma, heart pounding charm, and true natural skill!" or something to that extent. Emina never really paid attention to the fangirl monologues that Michelle was prone to. Once she started, she was unstoppable. Though she personally has never seen a show of his, she enjoyed watching her friend bubble and jumps with excitement. She smiled at the thought of her boss.

She was just about to settle in her seat when Michelle came up to her to tell her that the executive director wanted to see her. It was rare to be summoned by him, it was only ever a good or bad reason. He was not someone that normally got between the assigned managers and their teams. Though she was assured the meeting was on good terms, the anxiety of fearing for the worst was still there. His assistant would be back to escort her later so she had settled and got to finalizing on the details of some of her recent photos of the newer products. Though she had tried to focus on said work, her mind wandered to the impending meeting.

Time seemed to take its sweet time as she frequently glanced at the clock at the corner of her monitor. A minute felt like an eternity and the fact that the exact time of return was unknown only made it feel even more so. However, the arrival of his assistant had come all too soon as Michelle led her over.

"Here she is," Michelle had motioned to her before turning to her. "Emina, this is the executive director's personal assistant."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Emina Chernanko." She stood from her seat to greet the higher employee.

"Likewise, my name is Jaehee Kang. Director Han is waiting for you. If you would kindly please follow me." Jaehee had motioned Emina to follow so Emina had done just that and stepped into the elevator behind her. The ride was silent, slightly awkward on the account that she had no idea if this meeting was a good or a bad one and she had no idea if Jaehee would know either. To avoid any trouble, she simply kept quiet. They headed up to a higher floor in the office building, a level she had never imagined she would enter, and down a hall of doors with perfectly placed nameplates set beside them. They walked down the hall to a set of doors that had the name Jumin Han neatly engraved with his title underneath. "Please wait a moment while I make certain he is ready to receive you." She kindly spoke and excused herself into the room.

The wait was not long, Jaehee holding the door open for her to step in which she quickly did as she fumbled a thank you to her before turning her attention to executive director Jumin, or rather the back of his chair.

"Good afternoon Mr. Han. My name is Emina Chernankov from Food Exports. My manager Ms. Shin told me you were looking for me." She promptly introduced herself, afraid to say too little or too much so she kept it straight and to the point. The chair swiveled around to reveal the rumoured handsome ceo-in-line and it seemed the rumors were far less accurate on how exactly good looking he was. She had not expecting him to be so handsome but she made sure the shock did not show on her face. _Though there also rumor that he's pretty cold too...good looks but terrible social skills. I wonder if that's a bit off too._

"Yes, Michelle has spoken quite highly about you and your talents in her department. Since your arrival roughly nine months ago there has been about 65% increase in hits to the sight and roughly 30% increase in revenue as well. The cat food has been selling amazingly since your handling of the projects as well." He calmly answered as he carefully analyzed a few papers in hand. "With such promise of growth and skill, I want to transfer you to our furniture department. It would be a great way to see such increase in our main department of export as well outside of pharmaceuticals."

 _Transfer...to furniture?! Since when?! But I don't want to! I like where I am!_ She whined in her mind as she mulled over the words that came crashing down on her. "With all due respect Mr. Han, I don't exactly see myself in the furniture department. I have a passion for food which is why I excel at it so well."

"It would be challenge for you, but what good is a job where you don't grow?" He said simply, his tone blunt and uncaring of what she was saying which only reminded her of the rumor of him being terrible at social skills. "Starting next week you'll be moved to your new department." His tone held a finality to which she simply had to agree and thank him for the opportunity. She was led out by Jaehee to the elevator and she quietly stood there watching the numbers light up on the screen. Now not only was she moving out on her own, she was also moving to a completely different department which she had no interest in whatsoever.

* * *

Pinching the bridge of her nose Emina took a deep breath and began to search through the furniture section of the company website. She needed to see what she was working with and hoped that maybe she would actually find some inspiration or interest in the items they sold. Otherwise, this job shift was not going to be easy at all. The one bright side was that Michelle was still her manager, she simply was moved to another cubicle so she was closer with the employees who worked that department. She scrolled through the options that loaded up on her screen, this was going to another long night.


	4. Chapter 3

****Author's Note at end**

* * *

The sun came up far too soon, casting a harsh ray on Emina's face. She groaned in protest but soon was hissing from the stiffness and pain that had settled in her bones. When she fell asleep, she had no idea but here she was in front of a black computer screen. Grumbling, she forcefully moved against the internal protests of her body as she stretched and torqued her body every which way to bring back mobility. Sighing, she shook her mouse to see the time but grimaced at the assault to her vision that was the C&R furniture.

 _Ugh, that's right. I'm transferred. Ooookay, that I can deal with later. Time to wash up and get some food in me._ Scratching at her scalp a bit she pushed back the chair with her feet and made her way to the master bathroom. It was a simple full bathroom with standard fixtures. There was a simple square cabinet mirror above the sink and another directly across on the wall with the door. She found the positioning of the second one odd, but with such small space it made sense. The plain taupe tiling and basic white walls were given some life and warmth with the pop of color from her choice of decor, bringing a small smile to her tired face. In no time she was washed up and out in her kitchen whistling while she made her breakfast but stopped at the sound of someone singing. She frowned a little to herself as she quickly plated the simple fried eggs and rushed to her computer to see if an started to play. Seeing nothing there, she found herself even more perplexed. Stopping, she took the moment to properly listen again but it was gone. With a shrug she returned to her abandoned food and enjoyed the humble feast for one.

* * *

The rest of her day went by slowly and torturously as she made her way through the small city of boxes that was the rest of her apartment. It was definitely a struggle to keep organized and set up with all the packing material and tape that got in the way. At times she just wanted to scream and smash all the cardboard like a monster through a metropolis but she had quickly learned the walls around were thin-very thin. She could practically hear all sorts of conversations from the halls and apartment above. She had began to stop around at one point and the neighbor below had promptly thumped something against their roof and her floor for her to know that she needed to be more mindful. At the moment she wanted to just jump and stomp more back at them but she knew she was just displacing her frustration from her unpacking on to the person below.

Her furniture had come in the middle of the clean up of everything, giving the movers room to navigate and place as she pointed out where to set everything though it was not much. A simple sofa, coffee table, TV, TV stand, a tall lamp, a rug, and a small circle dining table with two chairs. All the pieces were pretty old, hand me downs from her parents who no longer needed them but were still in good condition to not throw away.

* * *

She had no idea how she had done it, but she did it. Her entire apartment was perfectly set and all the salvageable boxes were neatly deconstructed and set against the wall in her walk-in closet. Everything was finally in its place and she was officially settled in. She was finally able to call this place home and relax. Smiling to herself, she plopped down on to her sofa and looked around at her own little place. The daunting task had finally come to an end. The deep sigh of relief she let out slowly grew into a small chuckle as she grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it lightly to her chest as she fall on to her side.

The peace was short lived as her stomach started to growl and shout in protest. With a laugh she swung her body back up as she placed the pillow back where she had grabbed it from. She mulled over what options there were here and if she would rather have something from outside. Pursing her lips, she wiggled them side to side as she carefully worked out her options when she remembered the sizable dent in her money right now because of the moving. Though she was promised a raise with the job transfer, she was still very much in the danger zone until her next few paychecks.

"Home cooking it is!" She made her way to her kitchen and quickly pulled together a simple noodle with chicken broth and some frozen vegetables. "I should buy some meat with my next free paycheck. I nice chicken curry would be delicious!" She hummed, wishing she could have some now but knew she had to wait. "I start working again day after tomorrow. I'll take one more look around town tomorrow and hopefully not get lost this time. I'll need to take note of which stores are where until I get used to the area." She mumbled, grabbing a pen and pad from a drawer to jot down what she needed to do tomorrow. "Oh, I need to make sure about the bus or train schedule as well. I'm closer to work but I need to find the nearest stops here since I don't have a car." She added and starred the item before looking over the list. "Looks good enough, I'll just bring instant noodles with me to work to avoid the cafeteria. As delicious as the food is there I can't afford it." She pouted a little at the reality. "Life as an adult is so unfair." She grumbled as she let her head fall back and she stared up at her white ceiling.

 _Alright, that's enough of that! No need to get so depressed, I can have the yummy food again when I get some savings again! You've finally got your own place Emina!_ She clapped her cheeks as she sat up. She needed to think positive. _Just clean up and get a good night's rest! Everything is done and you've got nothing to worry about!_ Quickly she cleaned up the used dishes and set the notepad by the bowl that held her keys before retiring to her room for the evening and getting ready for bed. Making sure everything was off and the door securely locked, she settled into her bed with a happy sigh and shut her eyes.

"Darling!" Someone shouted and her eyes snap open, jumping out of bed at the sudden and alarming sound.

 _What the hell?!_ She quickly squinted through the dark as she grabbed her phone and fumbled for the light switch across the room in her addled body. She rapidly blinked at the bright light that stung at her eyes only to find her bedroom was empty except for her. She looked around the room frantically when the male voice shouted for 'darling' again and she jumped once more but quickly looked down at her feet. W _ait...is something going in the downstairs apartment?! Should I call the police? An ambulance? Should I go downstairs and help?!_ She jumped at the sound of the man shouting once more but stopped when she heard muttering and what sounded like exasperation. She stopped and waited a moment as she heard some muffled pacing and then someone else started to speak. Her shoulders slumped with relief. _A stupid lover's spat...at,_ she glanced at her phone. _Two-forty in the morning,_ _ **brilliant**_ _._ She groaned and shut the light before returning to the comfort of her bed. _They should really be more mindful of their neighbors! Yeah this place was empty for a while but anyone could move in anytime!_ She turned in her bed, pulling the blanket around her as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the odd argument below. This was going to be a **long** night and probably many more to come.

* * *

 ****Happy New Year's to everyone. Thank you for you time and support. I hope you have a wonderful new year and continue to enjoy my stories. Please do comment if possible, I'd love to hear what you think so far and you would like to see in a story.**


	5. Chapter 4

The blaring sound of the alarm clock was unwelcomed, her arm slowly rising from the depths of her blanket with her face buried in pillows. Led by her elbow, she dragged her hand like a corpse that was slowly becoming reanimated but gravity quickly fought back as it pushed it back down on to the bed. Using her fingers, she crawled her hand around until she found the smooth piece of technology that was responsible for ruining the little bit of sleep she was finally able to get.

 _They argued practically all damn night!_ She feebly glared at the crisp numbers that read eight AM. _Ugh, hopefully it was a one night thing...sounded like they finally made up._ Rolling on to her back, she knocked the tent she had made over her head to help block out the sounds a little more. _It's a new day, it's a new day._ She repeated like a mantra to try and perk herself up. Rubbing her face she finally forced herself out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom to wake up some more.

The shower helped wake her up a little more while food gave her a little more life. No longer a walking zombie, she grabbed the keys to her apartment along with her list of things she had set beside it after making sure everything was off and locked. Shoving everything into her purse she stepped out of her apartment and down the one slight of steps to the main entrance. She smiled a little at the warm sunlight that hit her face, she may not have woken up great but that was not going to stop her from making the best of today.

"Alright, now...what did that guy say again? Follow this street down and then take a right...I think it was two blocks? There was a drug store on the way so if I can find that I'll be good." She mumbled to herself, heading off in the direction she recalled was right. She could not help but wonder if her handsome savior would be around again today. _I should properly thank him for his help too. I kinda just left, nothing wrong with complimenting yourself after all. I still haven't come up with any ideas for the new department either. He wants a proposal done soon and given to Michelle. I can come up with recipes in a snap, why did I have to moved?_ She scowled a little to herself. Looking up from her feet at her surroundings she suddenly came to a stop.

"This has to be some sort of sick joke...again?!" She looked around at her unknown surroundings. She was so lost in her thoughts about work that she failed to notice where she was and had gone in the direction of the major foot traffic. Quickly pulling out her phone she tried to figure out where she was but found herself even more confused seeing her apartment was quite a ways away. "Just my luck!" Her sighed, crouching down and holding her head. "Ok, ok, you can do this Chernankov! Just think, you must have noticed a few things!" She carefully thought about her walk thus far when she suddenly heard a shout from above her.

"Oh God, are you okay?!" She looked up at the sound of the male voice, the sun making her squint and mask his face.

"O-oh, yeah! Sorry!" She quickly shot up and made sure her clothes were ok. "I was just taking a little breather!" She smiled, turning to see that the yellow she thought was the sun was actually just the sun in the stranger's blonde hair.

"Oh that's good! I was really worried, I mean I didn't even see you there until I turned, you really scared me!" He laughed a little nervously, a hand on his heart.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that." She rubbed the back of her neck as her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "I just...wasn't paying attention to where I was going and well...I'm a bit lost." She reluctantly admitted, hanging her head in shame.

"Lost? Oh no, well where do you live? Wait, no, you probably don't want to share that someone you just met! Forget I even said that! So, uhm, where did you want to go? Do you have an address we can work with?" He offered, seriously thinking of ways to help her, stepping to the side to avoid blocking the way for others. "Oh, my name is Yoosung Kim by the way!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Kim, my name is Emina Chernankov. You can just call me Emcee, it's usually easier." She extended her hand which he gladly took.

"Alright, Emcee it is! Oh, you don't have to call me Mr. Kim by the way! I'm not that old yet! I'm a college student actually so Mr. Kim is usually what people call me dad or what professors refer to me as." He explained, grinning all the while. "Just call me Yoosung!"

"Oh, ok, Yoosung it is!" She laughed a little at the chipper mood of the younger male.

"Ok, so where did you want to go?" He curiously asked and she fell a bit silent as she carefully tried to choose her words.

"Y-you see...I, well I'm new to the area so I don't really know." She frowned, her cheeks red once more. "I was hoping to find the grocery store I went to yesterday...but then well, I got lost in my thoughts and now here I am."

"Oooh, wow! Man, that is rough! Ok, so where is the general area you live? We can work our way back there at least right?" Yoosung offered, not at all upset by the inconvenience she thought she was being.

"You really don't have to worry about me so much, um if you could just point me to the nearest bus schedule I can work from there! I'm sure you're pretty busy and you've been so kind enough as is."

"Nonsense, it's important to help people when you can! Plus, I'm waiting on my friend's text before I head to his place." He assured her. "Please let me help the best I can."

"I," she was about to protest but found herself unable to be firm with such a sweet person and sighed again. "If you don't mind me troubling you." Emina smiled at him.

"You're not being a trouble at all, alright so where is the general place you live?" She pulled out her phone to show where her apartment building is and he frowns.

"Wow, you walked pretty far! You can get back there pretty easy too though...oh, I'm actually heading to that complex myself! That's my friend's apartment building. I promised him I'd help with something." Her pointed to the screen.

"Really? I guess I'm lucky again." She hummed, smiling at the fortune that has found her again.

"Hm?" He raised a brow at this.

"Oh, I was lost the day before yesterday. It was my first day after moving in so I wanted to get a look around. Someone actually helped me...he looked like a model too. The odds of meeting someone else as kind too though, I better not get lost again! Who knows how my luck will be the next time."

"What?! Don't say that, you're such a pretty girl!" He gaped a bit at her comment but realized what he said and quickly tried to correct himself. "I mean not that just looks matter or something! You're also very nice, you have been this entire with me anyway! I just, you're bound to have lots of good luck because you're a good person! I can tell you are!"

"Thank you Yoosung, you're very kind." Emina smiled at the flustered blonde who smiled back at her.

"Alright, allow me to escort you back to your place and I'll text my friend if he's ready. If not, maybe I can take you to the store you were looking for?" He offered, pulling out his own phone and quickly texting his friend. "Don't worry about being a burden or anything, I'm offering because I have time and I want to help."

"If it's not too much trouble, but if your friend is free please don't mind me and I can just be more mindful of where I'm going." Emina smiled and started to walk with Yoosung back to the apartment. The two casually chat about various things from his college courses and her job. They found out they were not that different an age, she was only a year or so older. She told him about the transfer which had been the culprit of why she had gotten lost to which he expressed his sympathy.

"I know how you feel about not wanting to do something. Though it isn't the same, I play a lot of video games which everyone rags on me for." He sighed. "They make me go out and od other things when all I want to do is unwind and play!"

"Oh, what games do you play?" She raised a brow at this, a bit of a gamer herself though it had been some time since she played anything due to school and then work.

"I play mostly LOLOL!" He beamed with pride. "Oh, but that's probably something not to boast about right?" He gave a slightly sad smile.

"Not at all, I used to play RPGs all the time and story games on my phone! If I'm not wrong...LOLOL is 'League of Loneliness of Life'...right? I heard a lot about it so I dabbled a bit in college but towards the end I had to pull away to focus and now here I am working. Maybe I'll go back." She hummed thoughtfully.

"You play?! Oh wow, you were able to really pull away and focus? Man, I wish I had that resolve and determination! I always say I'm going to stop but I get sucked right back in!" He sighed.

"Oh it was tough, it was a lot of fun to play! It took a bit of time but I eventually got so sucked in to school I was done before I knew it and then landing a job and everything!" She shook her head. "I'm sure you'll be able to buckle down when it counts. It takes time and everyone is different. Once you find out what you wanna do you'll be good." She nodded her head.

"You really think so? I hope so...but with you saying it like that...even I feel like I can do it! Thanks Emcee!"

"Just being honest, I know what it feels like getting picked on for gaming...though since you play maybe we can play some time?" She offered and watched as his face lit up at the offer.

"R-really?! Oh man, ok! Sure, I'd love to! I'm in a guild but they're totally cool! It's okay if you're a bit rusty, you can take your time getting used to everything and all the updates! Let me know when you start playing again and we can work out a time, cool?" He excitedly speaks, pulling out his cell as they exchanged contact information. "This awesome, alright!" He grinned. "Oh, looks like I haven't got a text from him yet and we're nearing the place soon." Yoosung pointed out to Emina who looked around and started to recognize places.

"Oh yeah, I know where we are now!" As soon as she said that, a text came to Yoosung and he frowned.

"Oh man, I just got the text from him...oh you should meet him! He's a bit much, but he's a really great guy and a role model! He's really talented though he's not into gaming...he's a lot of fun to be around once you get the hang of his personality though." He laughed.

"As sweet as it was for you to offer, I don't wanna get in the way of what you two have planned. Maybe next time though, I would love to make some more friends here." She graciously declined, sincerely not wanting to get in the way of what he was supposed to be helping him with.

"Oh ok, next time for sure then!" Yoosung nodded his head. "Do you want me to forward your information to him so he can contact you and maybe you two can meet up sooner? I don't live local so I don't really know when I'd be able to really get us all together. He also has a hectic schedule with his work, or I can ask him to share his information with you if that makes you more comfortable? If you want, we can wait until I can set up a time with all of us and some others too actually. It'll be fun!"

"Hmm...whichever is fine with me." She finally said after some thought. "Ask him what he prefers and we can work from there? You have my number so you can let me know." She smiled. "I'd love to meet your friends, I'm sure they all must be great if someone like you is friends with them"

"Alright, I'll definitely let you know-what?! Oh my God, that's too nice of you to say! I'm really not that great! You're too sweet!" Yoosung blushed at the compliments, pressing his hands to his cheeks to try and cover or calm the blush which made Emina giggle a little.

"Thanks again for all the help Yoosung, I'll let you know when I get back on LOLOL It was a pleasure meeting and getting to know you." She grinned, an identical grin of sheer joy on Yoosung's face as well.

"Yes, please do! It was great meeting you, I'm glad I noticed you! See ya!" They waved to one another and went their separate ways. This time Emina kept her eyes on the road, taking note of all the stores and actually doing what she had set out to do today though she was happy to have made a new friend.


	6. Chapter 5

Sitting in her bed, Emina went over her checklist for tomorrow that needed to be done after work when she heard her phone ping with a notification. Curious, she reached over to her nightstand to see what it was since she rarely got any notifications this late at night.

 _Oh, it's him!_ She smiled as she unlocked her phone to read the text.

 **Yoosung:** Hey Emcee! It's Yoosung! Not catching u at a bad time am I?

 **Emina:** Hey Yoosung, not at all! Thanks for all your help today! I probably would've ended up in some other city on my own!

 **Yoosung:** Wha? No! LOL! I'm glad I helped! I talked with my friend today. He'll message u first. Something about proper lol.

 **Emina:** I'll keep an eye out then!

 **Yoosung:** Cool! Lemme know if he bugs u, he can be a bit much lol! I better go, new event is up on LOLOL! See ya!

 **Emina:** Alright, hope you win! Good night!

She smiled a little at the amount of emojis that littered his text boxes, it clear he was quite the energetic type. She found it nice and refreshing though, a change of pace to her past few days in her new place.

 _I really do wonder what kind of friend he's connecting me to. He said he's the opposite of him, but in what way? I don't think it's anyone I should worry about...I mean, Yoosung doesn't seem like the type to tangle with sketchy people. At least, I don't think he does._ She frowned a little at this thought. _I'm sure it's fine! If anything, he probably means someone who looks down at all of his gaming!_ She waved off lightly, recalling him speaking about his friends who wished he gamed less and focused on school more. Settling in her bed, she placed her phone back on the bedside table and turned over to get to sleep. She had an early day to navigate the way to work from here and she rather not test her luck of finding someone nice to help her.

Settling into bed for the evening, she heard her phone ring. Grabbing it, she was greeted with a preview of an image of the dashing white haired gentleman who had helped her on her first day here. All she could see was his red eyes and some of his bangs, but it was odd to even have it on her screen at all.

 _Huh?_ She quickly unlocked her phone to open the text from the anonymous sender. _Hi. I'm Zen. 25 years old and a musical actor. I'm Yoosung's friend. He told me you moved into the area and are looking for some friends. I wouldn't mind being friends with you, just don't look me up on the internet._ She blinked as she stared at her phone for a long minute. "Wow, someone is certainly a little too confident in themselves...and he even sent a photo...I don't know if I should send one back." She frowned.

 **Emina:** Hi, I'm Emina. You can call me EmCee for short. I'm 24 too and am not a musical actor. It's nice to meet you friend of Yoosung. I did move into the area and oddly enough we've technically already met.

 **Zen** : Have we…?

 **Emina:** Yeah, you helped me find my way to the local store a few days ago. You were sitting on a bench at a nearby park. I think you were on a run?

 **Zen** : A few days ago? Oh! I remember now! LOL sorry! Yeah, totally remember! I was surprised to see such a cute girl staring at me like you were ;)

 _Well, he does know how to compliment others too at least._ She thought, smiling a little at his text.

 **Emina:** Yup, that's me! Do you need me to send a picture to help jog your memory? I'm not that cute at all haha.

 **Zen** : Nonsense, you're totally cute! I remember a cute lady when I see one. Though having a little refresher is always nice. Only if you want though.

 **Emina** : Such flattery! I bet you say this to all the ladies Mr. Actor! Hold on, I'll send one.

Quickly looking through what photos she has of herself, Emina attaches the best one with a small 'ta-da' as a text message. The slight pause that followed was a little unnerving as she saw the symbol for him typing come and go a few times with the marker showing that he had seen the text.

 _Oh great, he's totally realizing how uncute I really am! So embarrassing! Ugh, men can be such pigs!_ She quickly berated as her own embarrassment started to build up inside her. _You know what, it doesn't matter! I don't care what he thinks! It's a photo, he's seen me before! It doesn't matter! Just put your phone down and go to sleep!_ She coached herself but her hands failed to move. Instead, she jumped at the sudden ding of her notification and fumbled to catch her phone before reading his text.

 **Zen** : I was right, you're definitely super cute! No, you're more than just cute, you're prettier than I remembered!

Her cheeks burned at his sudden text, her heart pounding against her chest at such blatant compliments. It was unheard of and rare for her to hear. Biting her lip she tried to come up with something to say.

 **Emina** : You're too kind haha, thanks though. I better head to bed though, early morning. Talk to you later? Good night.

 **Zen** : Sleep is really important, you need to keep up your good looks! Talk to you later, night ;)

* * *

Sitting at her desk, Emina frowned a little to herself. Though she still sat in the same spot, she was no longer in the same group. As much as she wished to return, she was grateful they had not completely moved her to some other floor or section away from her fellow colleagues she had come to know. Leaning back in her chair she let out yet another heavy sigh. This was no good, she was unable to come up with anything still.

 _I'm sure Michelle made sure I stayed with her, so there's a positive there. I just don't know how good I'll be with this new job though. I've been trying to come up with something, but I just can't! This is a terrible horrible start!_ Ruffling her bangs a bit, she leaned on her desk with her elbows. "I need to start getting my head on straight." She turned her head to look at the pile of documents that were given to her.

* * *

She had just gotten into the office and was greeted by the familiar sight of her dear friend and manager Michelle sniffling over something. Alarmed at first, she had rushed over to see what had happened.

"Zen, my darling Zen…! What a beautiful performance that was!" She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, Emina almost stumbling to a stop as reality hit her.

 _That's right, she's a fan of some musical actor named Zen._ She shook her head, feeling a bit foolish for getting so worked up over her being all teary eyed. Michelle was a young and beautiful divorcee who was a huge fan for this up and coming actor. Min-jun was sitting beside her, his eyebrows furrowed together as always. It was pretty obvious that he had quite the office crush on her even though she was his manager. Try as he might, he was never a match for the prowess of Zen.

"Will you stop crying already?" He pouted. "It's time you realized Michelle, you can't reach the stars above. You have the little pebbles here to love you all the more." He earnestly tried to persuade, the usual antics making the transition all the easier this morning.

"What stupidity are you spouting now? You can just kick a pebble and it goes flying who knows where lost among the rest forever!" Emina had to bite her lip to stifle the laugh at how Min-jun's face dropped at the words. "Plus, Zen is so much more! He isn't just some any old actor who has minimal talent! He's not some simply star, he's the sun! No, even better than that!" Her eyes glittered with such passion and fangirling fever Emina ducked behind a pillar to avoid being dragged into the mess.

 _Sorry Min-jun, she's all yours just like you want!_ She quickly made her way to her usual desk. Slipping into her seat, she booted up her computer and waited for the tower to start up when her phone vibrated with a selfie. _Another one? This guy really is full of himself...wait a minute, didn't he say his name was Zen? That's just a coincidence right? I mean what are the odds._ She quickly shook her head. _Not like he isn't good looking though...but it's kind of weird that he's so into his own looks...a bit intimidating to be honest._ She frowned a little to herself.

 **Emina:** Good morning to you too, I'd send a selfie too but I don't think I'd able to look as good ^^; Plus I'm at work so it would look weird.

Pleased with her answer, she put her phone away to start logging into her computer when her phone vibrated again. She pulled it out to see another text from him, a pretty lengthy one at that. She quickly skimmed through the mini texted sermon about how she is gorgeous and how he could tell just by the way she text that she is cute and her photo only proved him right.

 **Zen** : You can send pics whenever you like, I don't mind ;) I send a lot of selfies myself so don't feel bad if you send a bunch too.

 _Oh boy...well, there's nothing wrong with being confident right?_ She thought to herself as she sent a small text stating she would keep that in mind and that she had to return to work now but also wished him luck on his work today as well. _I doubt it would be so easy to find the Zen Michelle is such a big fan over. I mean why live in a place like me when you can probably afford more right?_ "What are the odds of them being the same Zen?" She mumbled.

"What was that?" Emina jumped at the sudden voice behind her and turned to see Michelle with a stack of papers in her hands.

"Oh, I was just thinking about some zen teas that would go well after meals...and how the sales are." She quickly covered, not wanting to start a scene.

"Thanks for the concern Emina, but you're in a different department now remember?" Michelle gave a small smile. "Here are some documents you need to look over. Have them read by the end of the day." She stated as the stack came down with a thud on Emina's desk.

"Th-this much?" She gaped a bit.

"It's not that bad. Especially in comparison to the pain...of waiting for Zen's new musical to come out!" Michelle began to sniffle and Emina quickly jumped in agreement as she apologized for her dear friend's strife.

* * *

Now here she was, tired and halfway through the stack. Letting out another sigh, she got back to work. She had only a few more hours to go and to start her new assignment with an overtime was not the best look. Regardless of liking the reassignment, she sincerely wanted to do her best in the new department though she hoped to return to her old one as quick as possible.


	7. Chapter 6

"Oh thank heavens I'm finally done!" She stretched her arms above her head as she leaned back in her seat. She had to read through lunch, but that was a minor sacrifice in order to leave work on time. _Geez, who has someone read so much on their first day of work in a new department? Director Han is to be some beast or partially one if he thinks this was appropriate._ She sighed as she twisted in her seat and heard a few satisfying pops to ease tension in her back. Stowing away her documents, taking whichever she wanted to look over in the evening, she logged out of the system and officially clocked out for the day.

Walking down to the station with papers carefully stowed in her bag, she looked up at the clear skies. The light of the sun was a warm welcome in comparison to the sterile fluorescent lights of the office. _Today was productive at the very least...I guess. I'll go to bed early tonight I think. Eat dinner, wash up, and read documents again until midnight...yeah, sounds like the perfect plan._ She grinned to herself when her phone vibrated in her bag. _Oh, right!_ She quickly fished it out from her bag as she made her way to the train. There were quite a few pictures and many texts from both Yoosung and Zen. It looked like they had made a group chat for the three of them to talk in.

 **Yoosung:** Hey hey! I made a chat between us so we can call get comfortable with each other! Well mostly EmCee with us LOL!

 **Zen:** That's actually not a bad idea, see what you can do when you're not wasting your time on games?

 **Yoosung:** It's not a waste! I meet lots of totally cool people! Plus, EmCee plays too!

 **Zen:** No way, a totally cute girl like her wouldn't be a loser gamer like that!

 _I wouldn't be a_ ** _what_ **_now?_ She raised a brow at this, her lips turning down in the corners of her mouth. _I really didn't plan on talking about my gaming either._ She sighed, not sure who she was annoyed with more at the moment as she skimmed through the conversation to get the gist of it. Zen was trying to get Yoosung to quit gaming and get working on life while Yoosung was still addicted to gaming.

 **Emina** : You guys were pretty busy without me haha. Thanks for making the group Yoosung! I just got out of work, sorry for the lack of response. For starters though, I do like gaming though it isn't the **only** or **most important** thing I do.

Happy with her response, she pocketed her phone as she stepped on to the train and took an empty seat. She closed her eyes for a brief moment when her ear's caught some girls squealing over some actor. _Zen again? That Zen guy that Michelle likes...he seems to be pretty popular for someone who is rising no-name actor._ She thought, turning to see the girls huddled over the phone. It was brief, but she had caught sight of familiar white hair and red eyes before looking away only to snap her head back in the direction of the girls. _Wait just a minute,_ ** _that_ **_Zen is_ ** _the_** _Zen I'm talking to? The odds, a simple office worker like me befriending someone on the rise, one my manager is a huge fan of! Oh boy, I better be careful...she may just want to stalk him or something. Not like we're that close though...I'm sure if I play my cards right things will be fine!_

She noticed the group of giggling girls and some women had stepped off at the same station as her. At first she thought nothing about it, but when they all walked the same way as she did, she felt a bit disturbed by this.

 _Oh wait, he lives nearby! Maybe he was spotted...oh maybe I should warn him!_ She thought, pulling out her phone.

 **Emina:** Hey, I don't mean to be nosey...but there's a handful of women and young girls looking for you. You're more popular of an actor than you believe haha. You should be careful incase they follow you home.

Happy with her message she was about to pocket her phone when her phone began to ring. She quickly pulled it out to see a text and then a call soon after.

 **"** Hey, I figured it was easier to call. This is our first time chatting on the phone huh?" He chuckled, his voice making her heart jump a bit.

 _Oh geez, I didn't expect him to call! Was his voice always like this? That surprised me!_ She placed a hand over her heart as she took a few moments to get herself in order from the shock. "Hi, and yes it is." She laughed off. "You really should be careful though. I saw a bunch of ladies exit onto the same station as me. Yoosung told me you live nearby and you being a actor, they must be on a hunt."

"What? No way, I'm sure it's just a few! I'm sure most are just walking the same way." He laughed off. "You're cute to worry though! Who'd want to hunt such a beauty as myself after all?" She could imagine the self-confident grin he had shown her the first time they met on his face at those words. "Actually, I have my address up on my site so they can send fanmail and stuff. I don't see why I should hide."

 **"** Really...? I barely wanna put my address on media and you have it up on a site? That's brave!" She gaped a little at this bit of information. "Shouldn't you be a little more careful since you're trying to be more successful?"

"Of course you shouldn't! You're a lady, anyone will try and take advantage if you're not careful! Especially a pretty girl like you, guys will show their more beastly nature!" He firmly spoke, the lightness of his tone washed away by the sudden seriousness as if it never was. Emina was a bit surprised by his concern, but found herself smiling at his chivalrous thoughts. It was odd but endearing in its own way. In all honesty, she had no idea what to think of him. He had the looks of a pretty boy and certainly was well aware of his dashing good looks. Conceited was the kindest term she could think of as best to describe him. Most people talked about how celebrities can be arrogant and terrible in personality, but he certainly had polar traits with how he insisted on her being careful while he went on and on about himself. "As for me though, I don't wanna be like the others who hide from their fans...I wanna be accessible."

"Awe, are you concerned about little ol' me? No need to be Zenny boy, I'm perfectly capable of keeping myself safe. I'm quite talented with random objects and some pepper spray." She grinned with such confidence, reaching the front step of the building. She realized the walk had gone by a lot faster talking to him.

"Z-Zenny?!" He sputtered on the other end. "Why are you so cute! LOL, don't say things so cute! You'll give me a heart attack!" He chuckled a little breathlessly as if to distract her from his initial reaction.

 _Uh...that was a joke? Maybe it didn't come off as one properly?_ She shook her head at his reaction. _He gets flustered pretty easy huh? Oh that's too easy...I'll end up teasing him too much! I better not be too mean._ She laughed off

"What, you can share your address with strangers but a friend can't call you Zenny?" She pouted, purposely stressing the tone in her voice so he was able to heat the dissatisfaction in this.

 **"** Are you pouting? Don't be so cruel to me! Don't pout when I'm not there to make you smile again!" She snickered at his smooth words, they really did come naturally to him.

"Oh is that so, I'm sure you say **that** to all the ladies too." She let herself into the building and up the steps to her apartment.

"Not all the ladies, just you." He assured her. "Only a cutie like you can call me whatever you want."

" **Anything** ? That's giving me **way** too much freedom don't you think? Haha, you may want to fix that statement. You'll be giving **me** the wrong idea then!"

"Possibly, but I trust you. Call it a hunch, I just have a good vibe about you. I'm usually right about that sort of thing too, I like to think so anyway. Ah, one second," she heard him shout out something to someone else. "What? Breaks over? No? Director is calling me? Alright, I'm coming!" She raised a brow at this line of conversation. "Sorry about this, but I have to go-, he started but she quickly cut him off.

"Not at all, you've got work. I respect that." She assured him.

"Really? Thanks for understanding! Still, I'm the one who called and I have to go all of the sudden. I was supposed to be on break which is why I called." He sighed when he suddenly exclaimed something at the time. "It's that time already? I didn't even notice! I guess my break really is over! Haha, that goes to show you time with a beautiful person like you just flies! I'll talk to you later cutie, ok? Have a great night!"

 _Cutie? Is that revenge for Zenny?_ She wondered, smiling to herself. "Best of luck on your practice, thanks for calling." She held back the small laugh that threatened to come out at his sudden familiarity with her. Normally, she would not be so comfortable with such talk but he just seemed so genuine and warm that she just found herself more inclined to let him slide in and just be himself.

The tension from her office was long gone now thanks to the little conversation with Zen, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she attacked the rest of her day with new energy. It seemed the small bit of interaction was enough to get her energy going once again. The moment she hit her bed though, she was mentally exhausted from rereading documents and off to sleep without even realizing it. She was abruptly awoken by her downstair neighbor who was at it again, shouting with his partner. She groaned at the time that flashed on the clock before cleaning up the papers that were scattered on her bed. Hoping to muffle them out, she flipped over on her now cleared bed and hid under her pillow wishing for sleep to taker her before they got any louder.


	8. Chapter 7

The next day she dragged her feet to work, stifling a yawn as she found a seat on the train in. Yet another night's sleep robbed by the bickering couple. She was not sure what she should do about it. On one hand, she wanted peace and quiet. On the other, she was not willing to get involved in the affairs of others.

 _Especially these two who seem to be at each other's throats every other day. Who knows what sort of trouble I'd be getting myself into if I tried to get them to settle down._ She frowned as she looked up at the ceiling of the train car. The slow and steady rocking with the sted sound of the clicks was actually quite soothing at the moment. _Maybe if I just closed my eyes for just...no! No, I need to stay awake!_ She quickly sat up and shook her head.

 **Yoosung:** Look how handsome my character looks in the new armor!

 **Zen:** That's not real beauty, if you wanna see something real and handsome look no further!

 _Such energy so early in the morning...the both of them. I'm envious._ She snickered to herself before snapping a picture of herself. She obviously looked tired and as a joke was competing with the two.

 **Emina** : Oh yeah, feast your eyes on this hunk of handsome!

 **Yoosung:** lololololol ur not handsome! Ur pretty!

 **Zen** : LOL, such a cutie! You look tired though, are you sleeping alright?

 _Oh, he caught on real quick, or do I really look that obviously bad?_ She wondered as she looked at her photo, scrutinizing her make-up for the day. She normally did not tend to wear a lot, but today she made an exception to make herself look more alive.

 **Emina:** That's cruel, are you saying I look bad?

 **Zen:** Not at all! You'd look cute regardless of what kind of face you try to make! I just noticed you look a bit drained.

 **Yoosung:** What? You're sleeping right EmCee?"

 **Emina:** Thanks for working so much you too, but I'm fine. I'm probably still adjusting to a new place is all.

 **Yoosung:** That's true...good luck! I gotta go raid on LOLOL. C-Ya!

 **Zen:** That boy, always on that game...can't even stop for a friend! You have me though cutie. If you can't sleep, you should call me. I'm up pretty late rehearsing lines.

 **Emina** : Oh no, I wouldn't want to bother you. Thanks though!

 **Zen:** You'd never be a bother to me, promise. I'll do my best to always answer your calls wherever I am.

Emina stared at the winky face he sent her, smiling a little at the cute emoji as she hopped off the train and headed to her work building The sweet words from the two were more than enough to help give her just a little more energy to face the boring day ahead. Drawing her brown hair back into a low pony, she sat her desk ready to attack the day as best she could.

* * *

Seven, who always kept an eye on his friends, had been watching the new girl silently from behind his computer screen. She had come up a few times on the camera that looked out Zen's building security cameras. Though she hardly showed any fanatic interest in the handsome actor, both Zen and Yoosung had started to talk a lot about her. The sudden interest in a girl was surprising to everyone and he, being the self-proclaimed defender of justice, wanted to make sure his friends were indeed safe from harm.

Grabbing another chip, he munched on the perfectly sweet, salty, and crispy piece of heaven as he watched her walk off screen from home before searching up some of her information. He was surprised just how ordinary she was. A simple 9-5 job, if no overtime with no real records of crime or suspicious activity. She liked animals but refused to get a pet. She was a bit of a bookworm from her library history, where her only offense was overdue books. What amused him was that she worked for Jumin and he had no idea she was his employee even when they shared her photo.

 _Yoosung's been trying to get us to meet her as a group to help her make friends._ He hummed, a few screens popping up on his screen after a few magical clicks of his keyboard. _She's a gamer too...well, was one. Oh-ho, she was pretty good too? Well now, she certainly has quirks._ He chuckled as he saw the sorts of games she played on her free time. _Otome games? She's looking for love, that just won't do! I must right this wrong! Such sweet innocents must never be alone! Hmm, but how to get her to meet up with him?_ He wondered, pulling up her phone screen to see that she had been speaking to both boys a lot but had one phone call with Zen from yesterday. Sipping his beloved bubbly soda, he stared at the screen. _They seem to be doing fine so far...I'll intervene when things aren't going well!_ Pleased with his decision, the hacker went back to his work and pulled up his RFA chat client to tease the two boys. Since Yoosung was away though, he was left to pick on Zen.

 **Seven:** Is this the budding of romance? Is the power of defender of justice 707 needed?!

 **Zen:** What? LOL, no. The only romance i have in my life is my work. To be so beautiful and so alone, it's a shame!

 **Seven** : I know how you feel, I just want to love Elly but Jumin won't let me!

 **Zen:** NOT THE SAME AT ALL! Ugh, must you bring up that furrball? I feel my allergies acting up just thinking about it!

 **Seven:** No need to be jealous of our love, you can love her too!

 **Zen:** No thank you,, you can keep it as far as you possibly can. I don't care if I never see it again.

 **Seven:** Such a sad world you live in, deprived of animal love! How can you be so heartless?

 **Zen:** I'm not deprived, I'm ALLERGIC. ANYWAY, onto something actually important-my next role!

 **Seven:** That's right, you tried out for a new role.

 **Zen:** Yeah, I really wanna get it. They looked impressed with my audition, me and some others may get call backs for another run.

 **Seven** : Want me to hack their stuff and spam them with stuff about you? I can do that.

 **Zen:** LOL No, but thanks though. I don't need that kinda help.

 **Seven:** If you ever change your mind...mwuahahaha!

 **Zen:** Oh, I better go

 **Seven** : Gah, I better too. Vanderwood will kill me if she catches me!

The two log out of the chat, Zen staring at his phone for a moment. He always wondered what Seven did for work, but he never really pried for the information either. He was a good person, though odd.

 _Odd is not even the tip of the iceberg._ He shook his head and stretched a bit. There were a series of small pops, leaving him well stretched and satisfied in the end. "Ah, I better go do something...maybe a quick jog. The weather was pretty nice." He hummed, heading to his bathroom when he suddenly heard some singing. His ears perked a bit as he tried to hone in on the sound. Looking up at his ceiling he cocked a brow. _When did someone move in upstairs? I don't recall seeing a moving van or anything._ He frowned, thinking over the past week. Drawing blanks, he shrugged his shoulders and resumed with his plans to go for a jog.

* * *

Emina took in a deep breath of the cool night air. It was refreshing in comparison to the air of her apartment. She knew she was just prolonging her fate though as she took a seat at the local park. She was still idealess after such great praise from Michelle that got her this position change.

 _I just don't get ideas like I did for my last position._ She frowned, staring down at the mouth of her can of coffee. _I can market food like a pro, that's something exciting and dynamic. Furniture is just...static._ "I mean it just sits there and you either use it or you don't right?!" She sighed aloud. " **Why can't I just come up with something?!** **_"_** She shouted to the starry sky before slumping forward and letting out yet another sigh. A few people who were around stared at her, hesitantly waiting before quickly moving elsewhere as she continued to talk to herself. "If I was so good in the other department why not just keep me there? I mean why change a good thing?" She grumbled, shaking her head before she looked up at the moon as if it would give her some answers.

"Are you ok?" A slightly breathy voice called out to her. Surprised by the voice, she quickly turned to see none other than the white haired actor.

"Oh, it's you!" They both say simultaneously, staring a bit before breaking into a little laughter.

"No, I'm not lost this time around. I actually came out to clear my head a bit." She quickly looked over his attired and raised a brow. "You're running?"

"A light jog really," he chuckled. "Mind if I join you?" He pointed to the bench to which she shook her head lightly and moved over.

"Go right ahead, it's a public bench after all." Thanking her, he took a seat next to her, unzipping the neck of hie jacket. Emina had caught herself staring a little, but she quickly looked to her can of coffee, turning the aluminum in her hands. "So, do you jog every night?"

"Mmm? I try to. I feel weird when I don't get one run in the morning and some exercise in the evening." He smiled, turning to her. "I gotta keep up my good looks after all, why let such a blessing go to waste." He grinned, winking at her. Rolling her eyes she lightly nudged him with her elbow.

"God forbid you mess with your moneymaker." She snickered.

"Moneymaker? I guess I could make quite the bit of money if I did went by looks alone...but I don't take jobs based on that." He shook his head. "I don't want to be known for my looks, I want to be known of my talent." Emina stared at him as he seriously spoke about his convictions.

"Even if it means no money for a while?" She raised a brow at this.

"I take smaller roles. I'm not rolling in money, but I make enough to keep what I need." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh wow," she took a sip of her coffee as she mulled over his words.

"What?" He chuckled lightly as he looked at her. He wondered what he said was so surprising to her, though the darker corners of his mind echoed the worst. Replaying the words of his family back at him, except in her voice. _No, don't focus on that!_ He quickly stamped the voices as best he could as he focused on her.

"I just...didn't think much about it I guess. I mean, yes you're good looking and I'm sure you have the talent for acting since looks only get you so far...I didn't think you would screen jobs like that. My manager is actually a huge fan of yours and she raves about your skills. She doesn't praise easy, so I'm certain you have the talent. It's not a bad thing, I think it actually makes things a bit harder...why not just do whatever jobs? Make your life easier you know? But thinking about it now, I can tell you really do love what you're doing which is a great thing. You clearly have the drive to push through and that's admirable. I'm sure you'll do great." She turned to him. "What? Did I say something weird?" She frowned as he just stared at her with a slight wide-eyed look. "Why are you looking at me like that?" It was a little unnerving as he sat there in silence.

Zen was surprised to be asked such a thing. All throughout childhood his parents were against his acting and called him ugly. Others called him crazy for not taking any gig that came his way. Here was this stranger who was actually thinking over his words and trying to wholeheartedly understand. Her words filled him with a comforting warmth. Placing a hand over his heart he gave a small smile and quickly shook his head.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to stare like that. It's just, you're the first person to really try and understand me like that. Not that others don't try to understand me, they just do it in a more...answering kind of way." He slowly spoke, carefully trying to pick the right words to explain what he meant. "That probably makes no sense, right?" He nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head. He was not sure how to explain how he felt aside from being frustrated or annoyed by the way people reacted to him on this topic.

"It makes sense to me." She smiled at him. "They try to problem solve for you when you're not really posing a problem for them to solve. They care about you and want you to succeed, so they tell you answers and give advice to help. You've been wanting someone to empathize, listen and understand." He sat there in awe as she perfectly worded what he was trying to say. "It's pretty common for people to do that, it's easier to give than giving empathy. Please don't think too badly of your friends ok? They mean well, though the only one I know is Yoosung. He's definitely caring though, his heart is in the right place I'm sure."

"Yeah, that boy can be great if he wasn't so obsessed with his game." Zen chuckled, shaking his head as he processed her words in his mind. How long had he been waiting for someone to just listen to him like this? Even he was unsure of the answer to that one. _I didn't even realize it until she said it just now._

"I'm sure he'll find his balance, everyone just takes their own time." Emina smiled off his commentary, turning the can in her hands. "I mean I was a pretty avid gamer myself until I found something I really wanted to do. That motivated me to focus and get everything I needed done. He'll find his motivation when the time is right for him. As friend, just be there for him. Best you can do."

"Yeah, I guess...you're...you're really kind. I knew I was right about you." He smiled at her, moving some of her hair out of her eyes for him to get a better look at her face. She is surprised by the sudden touch, her cheeks burning up a little but she smiled nonetheless.

"You clearly don't know me well enough." She joked. "I'm quite devious."

"I'm sure you're extremely cute even then."

"I am not, I'm devious when I'm devious! Thank you very much." She playfully huffed, puffing her cheeks. He laughed as she reacted in such a manner, cupping one of her ballooned cheeks in his hand.

"Ah, how do you make such faces look so cute? I was right to say you shouldn't pout without me around. You'll definitely attract unwanted bugs cutie." He winked at her, surprising her with how calmly and suavely who came closer to her. She felt her face heat up a little as she pouted to hide it.

"Well what am I supposed to do when you're not there **Zenny** ?" She purposely stressed the nickname. _That'll show him! Calling me cutie, I'm not cute when I'm devious!_ She thought triumphantly before grinning at the fruits of her labor. His face quickly turned a light shade of pink in the moonlight as he fumbled with his words.

"You-you're really going to call me that?" He stumbled a bit with his words.

"Yes, yes I am. Is there a problem with that?" She innocently bat her lashes as he quickly stood from the bench and began to pace in front of her. She heard him mumbling under his breath, but she was not entirely sure what he was saying. She watched with satisfaction as he worked out whatever was riling him up.

 _Oh man, does she know just how cute she is being? She is clearly cute while being devious! This is a prime example of it! Calling me Zennt like that, my heart!_ He took a few deep breaths, coaching himself. His heart had started to pick up a bit when she called out to him while her innocent look had it shot itself into his throat. Forcing the memory out of mind for now, he tried stay calm. When he did, he finally came to a stop. Combing his bangs back, smiling a little as he bit as his lower lip. Emina stared at him, surprised anyone could exude such beauty and sexiness so effortlessly as he. The sudden sight of his forehead with that look had her heart racing to the point she felt a tad dizzy. She quickly shook herself back to reality as he moved closer.

"You're really something Emcee," he chuckled as he shook his head and took his seat beside her once more. The light shake had his bangs falling back onto his forehead. "Fine, then...you can call me Zenny. Only in private though ok?" _Who knows how well I can control myself if she keeps calling me that. Better safe than sorry._

"Why thank you," she playfully flipped some of her hair over her shoulder. "I do try to be something. Haha, alright. I promise to not use it in public or with Yoosung or anyone you know around. I rather not have a mob of fans after me anyway."

"Oh come on! Not with that fan stuff again! There aren't **that** many and plus, they're all very nice." He tried to assure her.

"Uh, no, they were all fans." She laughed and pulled up a picture on her phone to show them forming a line to drop of letters to him. "Hand delivering letters and all that." She snickered as he stared in awe at this.

"I mean, I know some come to drop off the mail but this many? I should really thank them on the site tonight!" He smiled at the picture. "Oh, they didn't give you any trouble right?"

"Me? No, I kept a low profile. Don't worry, you won't have to worry about a scandal with me. Ah, this has been fun but I really should let you work out and I should get back to work. I've procrastinated enough!" She sighed, slowly standing from her seat after finishing the last of her can. Zen stood up as well, smiling a little sadly at this.

"It was fun talking to you. Truth be told, I was feeling a bit nervous earlier...but after spending time with you I feel way better."

"Oh? I'm glad I could help If you ever want to talk, you can always reach out. I'll make time if I'm busy." She smiled. "Well have a great jog and goodnight." She gave a small wave, tossing her can in the trash can before walking back to the complex.

"Yeah, thanks. Goodnight. Oh, text me when you get into your apartment!" He shouted the last part after her, Emina smiling a little as she shouted back a yes before turning back around as he turned the other way and started to jog with renewed energy.


	9. Author's Note

Dear Readers,

Thank you very much for your continued support and patience. I wanted to let you all know that I have not forgotten about my stories. There were a series of events in my life that needed my attention and had kept me too busy to update. I am happy to inform you all that I will now be able to continue updating the stories and look forward to your reviews/feedback.

Sincerely,

Sicone Tribal


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